Ready to Do Business, the National Biodiesel Conference and Expo Rolls into Tampa Bay Next Week

Jan 20, 2016

The National Biodiesel Conference & Expo begins in earnest Tuesday, January 26th at the Tampa Convention Center with events that attract advanced biofuel advocates from across the country.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kaleb Little (573) 645-3260

(TAMPA) – The National Biodiesel Conference & Expo begins in earnest Tuesday, January 26th at the Tampa Convention Center with events that attract advanced biofuel advocates from across the country. And, with its first visit to Tampa Bay, event organizers are providing special opportunities for local residents to experience the festivities for themselves, including a screening of Merchants of Doubt Tuesday evening.

“When the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) was born some 23 years ago,” said NBB CEO Joe Jobe, “we were the very definition of a ‘mom-and-pop’ industry. But we’ve come a long way in two decades. Biodiesel producers stretch from ‘coast-to-coast,’ with plants in nearly every state.”

Biodiesel is made from locally available byproducts and coproducts – soybean oil in the Grain Belt, recycled cooking oil in urban areas, animal fats from rendering plants in the Southwest and more. Last year, the U.S. industry’s more than 160 plants produced close to 2 billion gallons of cleaner-burning renewable fuel, and with the capacity for almost 3 billion gallons, those plants are poised for record growth in 2016.

“As the only advanced biofuel commercially available nationwide, biodiesel is uniquely positioned to provide an alternative to petroleum diesel that reduces carbon emissions by as much as 86 percent,” Jobe said. In addition to federal policies to support renewable energy, Jobe pointed to states like California setting their own low carbon fuel standards with the expectation that biodiesel will help them meet their targets.

The events kick-off Tuesday morning with Jobe’s “State of the Industry” presentation and a keynote address from former U.S. Rep. Bob Inglis, Executive Director of RepublicEn.com, an organization “committed to building public understanding of free enterprise and its promise to solve energy and climate challenges.”

That afternoon, the Expo Hall opens and convention guests will be treated to dozens of exhibitors and a Biodiesel Vehicle Showcase that includes models from PACCAR / Peterbilt, Hino Trucks, General Motors and more.

Biodiesel is particularly popular for helping municipalities, school systems and others across the country meet their sustainability goals by employing biodiesel in the management of their fleets. Tampa Bay is no exception, with biodiesel powering buses at the University of South Florida. In fact, one of USF’s “Bullrunners” will be on display at the Showcase.

With more and more manufacturers eager to promote biodiesel for their diesel vehicles, Tampa Bay residents are invited Wednesday to check out a selection of the latest biodiesel cars and trucks from local dealers at a unique ride-and-drive event taking place just outside the convention center.

Beyond the ride-and-drive, Tampa Bay residents are invited to explore all the conference has to offer on Wednesday. And Tuesday, residents are invited to a special screening of the documentary Merchants of Doubt, sponsored at 9 p.m. by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Award-winning director Robert Kenner takes audiences on a satirically comedic, yet illuminating view of a secretive group of silver-tongued pundits-for-hire who aim to spread maximum confusion about well-studied public threats ranging from toxic chemicals to climate change.

The conference comes to a conclusion Thursday with a presentation to conference guests by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.